i had paid work at the queensland university of technology's kelvin grove campus some years back, and for all that time not coming off campus to try here, i am kicking myself for not thinking of it. dannyboys was more or less right on the fringe of the campus, and its popularity also helps. a darling in its little village, it has that feeling of a neighbourhood favourite and the distinct aesthetic for people to come many neighbourhoods over from hearsay.
what has been odd is that with the constant popup of american-style restaurants and eateries, it still has neglected some of the bigger parts of their basic cuisine. one of these is delicatessen sandwiches, complete with the long rolls and the anything goes attitude of the place. hearsay is that some americans in town have been homesick until coming here, that is saying something.
for all that is worth, and for the level of hype and popularity across the review sites just prepare for it not to be purely ostentatious. the service is basic at best, though it is proficient and efficient. simply place your order, then wait until the name is called and either walk out or eat in (yes, the sandwiches are wrapped in paper). it is also not a very big place, but it does have an upstairs area that has a loft-like aesthetic.
however, you can't say it is devoid of character. across the wall upstairs is a blackboard, and many guests from all this time have scribbled their name among other things a bit like graffiti. speaking of graffiti, maybe the pc term needs to be used - "street art". some neat murals of street art are there, and it is quite entertaining. the seating is not too far removed from food court style, and a small bench is on the lower level if you are feeling a bit lazier. the look of it feels natural, and that they want to carve a character out of it.
at dannyboys, the sole focus of its menu is on freshly made sandwiches. and this is fresh in close to the most literal sense of the word. the bread is baked from scratch right on the premises, from a very basic recipe of merely five ingredients. roast meats are cooked in-house, the mayonnaise is the owner's own recipe (done with whole eggs) and, if hazard a guess, vegetable are gotten fresh everyday. quality makes a mile of difference.
each order for a sandwich is done fresh and done to order, and there is an extensive range available and with different modes - a simple basic, the gourmet "rock star" variety which will probably catch the attention the most and the gourmet signature, which are takes on some classic american sandwich orders. they are all given names and can be ordered long or short, or down with lettuce for low-carb diets. lastly, special, limited edition sandwiches (and soups) come up every so often adding on some more excitement.
as well as that, breakfast is available to go here in the form of some rolls. to go with the sandwich at any time is coffee, and they have a few soups to match as well. sweets are also on the menu, with home-made cupcakes. this is simple, stripped down to a definite focus and they do it really well. it has held up as an institution for several years and still counting. heck, it is so popular they already have prearranged packages for catering.
coincidentally, my dining buddy had wanted to go here as well and it had been on the "must" list for the longest time. often being lumped in with the "best of" in american cuisine (both of us love american cuisine of all sorts), it was more or less a matter of time. finally, one day a trek was made here and the end result was something else. finally, got this off the list and i am glad that i ended up here - even as not that much of a sandwich fan, i find myself highly recommending this place.
the sandwich that i ordered was the "st. louis". this was a combination of sliced turkey breast which was pre-smoked, and leg ham, with cheddar cheese, sliced tomato, red onion, banana peppers and lettuce with the sauce being a combination of a dijion vinaigrette and the specialty thousand island dressing. i got the long version of this sucker.
i can easily see why people are so infatuated with the sandwiches at this place. the amount of ingredients that they put is in generous; both meats alone are nearly a half-inch of slices put on the bread, the balance of ingredients is all good, and i enjoyed the flavour combination of dijon mustard (hard to describe, just its own thing) and the vinegar from the dressing mixed with the peppers mild spice. it was fresh with the vegetables and colourful - they were lively and not wilted, and the cheese finished it all off. one of these could do a good lunch, and many university students must praise the grounds that dannyboys sits on - budget friendly as well.
my dining buddy got the specialty bahn mi - being a huge fan bahn mi and all that - which was some slow cooked pork in a marinade of red wine, garlic, honey and soy sauce, then carrot, cucumber, red onion, coriander and soy mayonnaise with lettuce. trying a bit of this, they did not do a bad job at all recreating this vietnamese classic. a little less rich, and the bread was not as crusty as i was used to with bahn mi, but it gets a b for effort. much to the gripe of him, no pate.
on the side for only a couple of dollars extra, for any sandwich there was the chance to add on a cup of soup. you can bet your sweet bippy that i did this. the soup that i got was a corn chowder. each soup comes with a bit of bread, which with the sandwich might have been a bit overkill but as its own snack - particularly in larger sizes - is fantastic for dipping. this corn chowder was thick, hot and soothing - a combination of celery, corn, carrot and onion gives it a balanced texture and it was topped off with a pinch of croutons. simply.... delicious. what more could be needed to advertise a good chowder?
for the soup with my dining buddy, he opted for the chili beef. it definitely had a kick, but not too much of one. this was one serious recipe, where kidney beans, tomatoes and onions were stewed overtime with the minced beef before having bacon, chili, lime juice, oregano, garlic, sour cream and cheese added to it before a finish of shallots. a taste of it showed the love going in. the beef was good, it had a complex taste and it would suit well on its own.
for the second course, i went for coffee and cake. i was not leaving here, and neither was my dining buddy, without getting one of their cupcakes. usually there is a variety, but it was all one today. a sort of mocha flavour that was not on the menu. with that, i had a doppio. from memory, the doppio was fine - but nothing i can remember too vividly. however, the cupcake was awesome. this was one that needed a fork to eat it, it was so rich and moist. the chocolate flavour was so intense, and it possibly had a better coffee flavour than the coffee itself - a wonderful finish off was the chocolate-coated coffee bean on top.
dannyboy's was great - nothing else to say that has not been said here or anywhere else. if this is an indication of what the sandwiches are like the united states then i am looking forward to going over there in the future.